Frederick Douglass
Narrative of Frederick Douglass Essay
The life of a slave can be an adventure, a hardship, a living nightmare, or all of the above. It all depends on the master that owns you and the environment those influences what needs to be done. In the South slaves had harder work to attend to and would be disciplined more than in the city. Violence was allowed because of the corrupted state government and regulation forces. From the day you are born into this lifestyle, suffering will be a normal thing. A slave is forced to work at their master’s pace and not at theirs. If a slave would to not perform to satisfy his/her owner they would be punished. Depending on the personality of their master, a slave could get severely punish to a point where you can see him or her dripping their own blood. However, it’s not all bad. In fact, sometimes-good things may come your way like in the life of a slave named Frederick Douglass.
Born as a slave, Frederick Douglass would experience some harsh things that kids should never see. Scenarios like seeing your aunt get “tied up to a joist, and whipped upon her naked back till she was literally covered with blood.” Frederick discovers as a kid that slaves are seen as individuals beneath their masters. He describes how every year he would receive one brand new set of clothes and shows. Most of the time slaves would almost be seen working almost naked or in rags. Year round, including in the winter, they wouldn’t get a change of clothes until the following year. Slaves would sleep altogether on the damp wet clay floor with a ripped blanket. The living conditions were almost impossible to cope with. Slave families would be separated due to trading between slaveholders. Douglass met his mother a few times and never really bonded. She would sneak out of her farm, walk a few miles and try to spend the night with him. They wouldn’t speak much but did spend time together at least until sunrise. Frederick Douglass’ early childhood would consist of